


Ultra Survey Report

by XerxesTexasToast



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Alien Biology, Biology, Dossier, Fake Pokemon, Fakemon, Gen, In-Universe Document, Multiverse, Pokémon Multiverse, Science, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-05-26 09:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 11,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14997530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XerxesTexasToast/pseuds/XerxesTexasToast
Summary: Enclosed in this message you will find information regarding your application to the Ultra Recon Task Force. Your passion for the study of Pokémon has been noted by the administration during evaluation. The most current data regarding the Ultra Beasts and their home worlds is included to help steer you towards a division and field of study in which you are most interested.Best of luck.





	1. Ultra Recon Task Force: Letter of Acceptance

Congratulations, recruit. You have been selected from the applicant pool to join a task force of scientists, researchers, and explorers from all over Astreyza. Your superior test results, stellar educational record, and passion for field work make you an optimal candidate for research in the field of Ultra Beasts. Since the establishment of contact with research foundations in our sister universe, more data has been gathered on the many strange worlds that surround us. It is high time we begin to study the stars beyond the home our ancestors found for us.

Welcome to the Ultra Recon Task Force. May the Blinding One shine on.

Commander Drocharita       —Administrator Posidoni       —Director Phyllos—

 

**RECRUIT PREP INFORMATION — READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY**

Your duties as a task force agent include the collection and analysis of data from various regions of Ultra Space and beyond. Depending on your talents and preferences expressed in your application, you will be recommended to join either an Ultra Recon Squad or a scientific research team stationed at headquarters.

If you are assigned to the Laboratory Research Division, you will be sent to the Astreyza College of Science, where you will be enrolled in an intensive three-year program regarding scientific methods and the study of Ultra Beasts. Internships with the LRD are available for workplace experience. Additional courses offered include communication, linguistics, zoology, ecology, botany, astronomy, physics, history, archaeology, and geology.

If assigned to the Field Research Division, you will enter a training course that will teach you the necessary skills to operate in a variety of natural environments. You will learn the basics of navigation, emergency toolmaking, hunting, foraging, the preparation of food, hand-to-hand combat, the operation of small firearms, climbing, diplomacy, and conflict deescalation. You will deal with very dangerous wild Pokémon on a regular basis. Trainees will be gifted Astreyza-native starter Pokémon as a form of companionship and protection in their travels. Starters may be chosen from up to five sets of three, each with various type combinations and stat specialties.

Each individual Ultra Recon Squad will be loaned either a Solgaleo or a Lunala for purposes of transport to other worlds. These powerful Legendary Pokémon require a great deal of resources to raise to their final evolutions, and as such the Ultra Recon Task Force, over the course of the past decade, have reared six Lunala and eight Solgaleo. Breeding has proven difficult, and all current domesticated specimens are raised from wild-caught Cosmog. These Pokémon are valuable resources and are to be treated with utmost care and respect.

Attached is a document summarizing the most current data for each known sector of Ultra Space. You will receive your division assignment in the mail within three weeks.


	2. Ultra Deep Sea

**** The Ultra Deep Sea is arguably the most alien of the known Ultra Space regions. It occupies an entire universe in its own right and is completely unreachable from Ultra Space by three-dimensional travel. Ultra Wormholes are the only known method of access, and researchers stationed there have collected data that suggests the entire pocket universe is Ultra Deep Sea, with no planets or even outer space beyond whatever sky there may be. Chemical analysis has revealed that the world uses an entirely alien set of elements, but extradimensional visitors are able to survive despite the vastly different substances.

The world strongly resembles an ocean floor, serving as the inspiration for its name. Despite this, there is no evidence of water as we know it; instead, the “ocean” is full of a dense air analogue that can nonetheless support floating creatures. It is mostly breathable by human visitors, but its increased viscosity and nonatomic makeup cause difficulty breathing culminating in chest pains and bouts of unconsciousness. Filtering to the tropospheric pressures of Earth or Astreyza greatly slows the progress of symptoms, allowing a human to inhabit the space safely for up to two weeks. Breathing the “airwater” unfiltered begins to cause symptoms as early as three days of continuous inhalation. Long-term symptoms have yet to be ascertained.

Based on this data, it has been hypothesized that Ultra Deep Sea as a whole is far less dense than any world previously explored. Light from distant sources and differences in biodiversity at shallower depths imply the presence of a surface similar to oceans as we know them. One hypothesis suggests that the low-density environment is the result of a vacuum metastability event in the ancient past, but the hypothesis has been discredited based on the presence of visible light, a similar range of energetic potentials to that of spacetime which supports atomic matter, the lack of instantaneous annihilation of atomic matter on contact with the world’s spacetime, and the ability of alien organisms to survive in such conditions. Gravity, the Pauli Exclusion Principle, familiar force-carrying bosons, and light speed limits continue to apply.

Once the creatures of Ultra Deep Sea are thoroughly understood, the Divers’ mission will shift to reaching the surface by the least environmentally damaging means possible.

  * ******Assigned Squad: The Divers**
    * Halodule, Squad Captain, Communications Specialist
    * Cyanidia, Senior Researcher, Senior Chemistry Specialist
    * Volvox, Researcher Emeritus and Physics Specialist (considered lost)




	3. UB-01 Symbiont: Nihilego

**** Nihilego are mind-bogglingly abundant in the Deep Sea. Much of the dimension is overgrown with glassy reefs built up over years of Nihilego reproduction and activity. Nihilego’s body is composed of an amorphous vitreous substance of a translucent blue-white hue. Though it can change shape at will, it always possesses twelve tentacles, three oral palps, a transparent bell, a blue loop of sensory tissue, and two globular organs that sense acceleration in order to maintain balance. The frosted star-shaped patterns on its bell have been determined to be the equivalent of neurons.

The shape most commonly seen resembles a jellyfish mimicking the shape of a humanoid girl in formal wear. The bell remains at the top of the creature as usual, ringed by the sensory loop in a way that resembles a frill of lace. Together they resemble a sun hat. Four tentacles shift forward to serve as manipulators, two on each side of the oral palps. The rest of the tentacles shift to the back of the creature, where they fuse for most of their length to give the impression of a dress. The outermost tentacles of the “dress” contain the balance organs, and the innermost tentacles stretch downward in an imitation of legs. While in this form, Nihilego’s mannerisms resemble that of a quiet human child, believed to be its default behavior.

Nihilego’s mind is extremely difficult to study. All standard psi detection devices have come up blank, and observations in the wild have suggested the presence of basal instincts in addition to very faint awareness of its surroundings. It is believed that Nihilego’s strange psychology is an adaptation to protect itself from the psychic powers of its main predator, Yolawis. When left alone in safe conditions, Nihilego filter-feed from their surroundings and drift aimlessly. When presented with others of their kind, Nihilego revert to their childlike shape and interact like human children, interacting with their manipulator tentacles, hugging, “dancing”, and passing rocks and crystals between themselves. The purpose of these behaviors is unknown and is the topic of heated debate amongst laboratory scientists assigned to analyze the Divers’ data.

Nihilego appear to reproduce asexually. Individuals will occasionally spawn when completely alone, then immediately vacate the area. The cloud of eggs is carried to new areas by currents, giving enough space for each egg to develop without much competition from its siblings. Nihilego eggs are fragile, tiny, and highly sensitive to their environments, making them extremely difficult if not impossible to raise in captivity. The eggs require the spacetime structure of their homeworld. Attempts to recreate this spatial structure in a laboratory have failed.

Nihilego’s feeding habits appear to be parasitic in nature. Though it can consume particulate substances from the environment through its skin, it obtains most of its nourishment by latching onto other organisms, typically by wrapping its bell around them. Nihilego will change shape to accommodate the physiology of its target. The oral palps will mold onto the surface of the host’s body in order to draw nutrients out of it. Nihilego is able to derive nutrients from its host with simple skin contact.

It then pumps a powerful neurotoxin into its host. Nihilego delivers its venom through nematocyst-like structures in its tentacles and palps. Despite being composed of the same nonatomic substances as the rest of Ultra Deep Sea, its effects are the same regardless of the victim’s chemical and physical makeup. Instead of damaging, Nihilego venom is psychoactive. Initial envenomation lowers the victim’s inhibitions, intensifying reactions and reducing capacity for metacognition. The venom amplifies the host’s motivation to fulfill its own needs and wants. In the wild, this takes the form of ravenous feeding patterns in the host to provide enough sustenance for both individuals. When Nihilego has eaten its fill, it will release its host and continue on its way as the venom slowly works its way out of the former host’s system. Multiple Nihilego will parasitize the same host in succession in order to take advantage of the venom the host has yet to expel.

The end stage of envenomation involves the complete suppression of independent thought and a monomaniacal focus on providing for oneself and Nihilego. It is entirely capable of infesting sapient hosts, but the envenomation process takes much longer, and targets are able to pull away before they lose awareness of themselves. Only through prolonged exposure to Nihilego’s neurotoxin can a highly intelligent organism come under its control. As such, laboratory study of captured specimens must be done with utmost caution. Rotating staff and providing the specimen with ample food are highly effective in preventing the envenomation of researchers.

When controlling a sapient host, a Nihilego’s appearance can change drastically. The internal structure of its jelly crystallizes and darkens, refracting light in a way that produces prismatic flecks of color. The bell grows to envelop more of the host. Hard, opaque structures sprout from the bell to surround the tentacles, and the tentacles themselves can grow fingers, spikes, additional accelerometer globules, and even complex eyes. This phase is referred to as the possessive phase, as the desires, instincts, and personality of Nihilego and its host merge. No longer does Nihilego control its host. It _is_ its host, and it bends to the host’s desires as much as the host bends to the influence of the poison. These fused creatures are highly dangerous and very powerful. Only psionic disruption can split the two, and as such the Divers must train their assigned Solgaleo or Lunala to separate merged hosts in the event of an emergency.


	4. UB Polyp: Nihilid

Nihilid are the polyp stage of Nihilego, mirroring the life cycles of Earthlike jellyfish Pokémon. When a Nihilego spawns, the eggs drift to the seafloor, take root, and eventually hatch into a bundle of short tentacles. Over time, it builds a vitreous carapace of upward-pointing crystal scales. Each scale protects a single tentacle, which draws small particles of food into the central body. It is not uncommon for a Nihilid to accidentally cannibalize its neighbors’ ephyrae while it filter feeds. When threatened, Nihilid will retract all its tentacles into its scales. As the polyp reaches its final stages of growth, the scales fuse into a single conical stone, protecting the vulnerable body of a newborn Nihilego.

Over its lifetime, a single Nihilid produces several Nihil Ephyrae, which mature into adult Nihilego over the course of six months. Under safe conditions, an ephyra may grow instantaneously into a Nihilego in a process comparable to standard evolution. After several ephyrae are released from Nihilid’s primary body, its living tissue will rise into a transparent bubble and exit its glassy shell, evolving into Nihilego via the standard method. The conical stone shell is left behind. Many generations have produced towering shelves of old Nihilid skeletons, forming crystal reefs where a number of Ultra Beasts hide and live.

While Nihilego’s sentience is in question, Nihilid has been confirmed to possess no mental processes more advanced than reflexes. Trainers struggle to give it orders in battle as it often doesn’t respond at all, though it will raise its defenses, cast Reflect and Light Screen, and Protect on its own. Because of Nihilid’s sessile nature, it learns no attacking moves whatsoever, being limited to Harden, Protect, Safeguard, Mirror Coat, and barrier moves. According to studies, its “mind” is so weak and vestigial that it is susceptible to psychic suggestion even from non-psionic humans. This is the only way to issue it commands in a Pokémon battle, making it difficult to train a captive Nihilid for evolution.


	5. UB Shimmer: Yolawis

Yolawis is arguably one of the most dangerous Ultra Beasts discovered. A tangled, glimmering conglomeration of eyes, tentacles, and lights, Yolawis is a ravenous apex predator that strikes fear into the all the denizens of Ultra Deep Sea. At its center is a large, multi-irised eye that can tear apart to become a gelatinous mouth riddled with inward-pointing fangs. This mouth is only revealed when the creature is threatened or needs to consume a large object quickly. Yolawis prefers to use the secondary mouths in its tentacles to feed at a more leisurely pace, as its core is much more useful as an eye than as an input orifice.

Yolawis individuals are surrounded by a psychic field at all times, serving both offensive and defensive purposes. The field warps the minds of anything that enters it and even degrades the integrity of spacetime itself when amplified. Confusion is its preferred status ailment to inflict, and prolonged exposure can cause long-term hallucinations and paranoia. The psyfield prevents opponents from drawing too close and allows it to disable its prey when it closes in.

Sapient beings are not safe from its effects, either. Prolonged exposure to Yolawis’ psychic energies drives humans mad, causing hallucinations, nightmares, and intense paranoia. For this reason, the research of captive Yolawis has been halted for the sake of the researchers’ mental health. Those that have experienced the visions it causes and remained lucid report that they see what it sees, and it sees _everything_. In every direction, _from_ every direction, every past moment, possible future, and alternate outcome within their psychic fields. What’s more, victims are exposed to Yolawis’ own thoughts, and some say that it expresses a malice unlike anything a human could imagine, and that it forms plans too horrible for the human mind to withstand even considering. It is from these short studies that Yolawis’ secondary typing was determined to be Dark, and that their psychic field functions quite similarly to a passive, constant Dark Pulse, which has confirmed to be part of its moveset. Further observation in the field shows it gleefully toying with its food before killing and eating it.

Yolawis are as brutal in their parenting as they are in the hunt. Of a single clutch of hundreds of eggs, few survive to adulthood. The weakest are eaten by their siblings, and those that aren’t the most cunning are devoured by their progenitor. The only ones that get to live are those that can crunch through the solid glass of disused Nihilid skeletons, solve devious puzzles and mazes designed by their elders, and survive a day drifting alone at the surface.

However, some Yolawis fail these trials and still manage to survive. These individuals were lucky enough to develop all their claws and mandibles earlier than their peers, giving them enough strength to fight off the trial masters, perhaps snip off a tentacle or two in the scuffle. Fearing for their lives, they flee, and these outcast Yolawis have established their own small society separate from the cannibalistic mayhem of the main population. They are scholars and philosophers, and on the rare occasion the Divers stumble across their hidden sanctums, they will offer shelter from more dangerous creatures. Their psyfields are still unsettling for human researchers, but they do not seem to convey the same degree of hostility. Though their minds still cannot be fully grasped, the spiraling glyphs carved into the walls of their burrows may hold the key to Yolawis psychology.


	6. UB Drifter: Opixinia

In its home world, Opixinia is a scavenger. It roots around the seafloor with its clawed proboscis, feasting on the sludgy remains of long-dead Nihilego and Yolawis. Outwardly, it resembles ancient Earthling radiodonts of the same family as Anorith and Armaldo. Tissue samples show that it is made of substances native to the Deep Sea, but it is unclear whether this is because it is truly native or because it had nothing else to eat. There are a number of researchers who strongly believe that it is indeed a descendant of basal arthropods from Earth, and its altered biochemistry is simply the result of being forced to live in and adapt to an alien world.

Either way, it has survived well in Ultra Deep Sea, for their populations are large and healthy. Like other Fairy-types, Opixinia are playful and mischievous, chasing each other around the reefs and playing gentle pranks on one another. They live in pods of around eight or nine individuals, and the larvae are raised communally. It is quite common for multiple pods to congregate into vast schools thousands strong. When schooling events occur, adult Opixinia select mates from other pods using a series of small games. Once individuals settle into mated pairs, they either join their mate’s pod or leave together to start a new one. Opixinia are doting parents, evidenced by the mother gluing her eggs to her belly with a special resin. If her clutch is too big, she will glue the rest to her mate or an infertile volunteer. Opixinia mate for life and can recognize their children long after they have matured.

Opixinia are fearless and curious. They will approach squad members to study them, making them incredibly easy to document up close. Individuals are known to test unknown objects with their probosces and ribbonlike antennae. Once they realize that humans are no threat, they will happily play with them and accept treats and petting. A large, healthy pod is currently being maintained by the Laboratory Research Division, giving researchers an incredible insight into their surprising intelligence and complex social behaviors. The pod is reproductively active, so additional specimens are to be captured to maintain genetic diversity and mature young are to be released during schooling events to allow them to find mates in the wild.

When a colony of Nihilego is in grave danger of being devoured by Yolawis, Opixinia become their favored target. Opixinia’s typing gives them an incredible advantage against Yolawis, and their minds are powerful enough to withstand short-term exposure to Yolawis’ psionic field. When Nihilego attach to Opixinia, the latter’s flight instinct is overridden by fight, and the parasite colony assembles a swarm to bite and slash the Yolawis to death with powerful STAB Bug-type moves. The altered state of mind caused by the neurotoxin protects the Opixinia from psychological damage, and once the threat has been vanquished, the Nihilego order Opixinia to devour every trace of the Yolawis. This is where Nihilego earned its title as “Symbiont”; its possession of Opixinia is entirely beneficial to both parties, protecting them from predation while simultaneously feeding them enough to last every participant a few days. It is for this reason that Opixinia do not flee in terror from Nihilego like other residents of the Deep Sea. They simply mind their own business, and if the Nihilego commandeer their bodies for protection, they have nothing to fear.


	7. UB Siphon: Phorayzoa

Growing up to twenty-five meters in length, Phorayzoa live beyond the reefs, out in the open abyss of Ultra Deep Sea. Their gossamer bodies sport hundreds of flowing, threadlike tendrils that ensnare prey that draw too close. Struggling only tangles the prey more, allowing Phorayzoa to drain its life force at its leisure. Its diet of life energy, in addition to its ability to phase through solid stone effortlessly, has revealed it to be a Ghost type. The vast majority of the time, it drifts lazily through the air, carried by the currents of the alien sea.

On rare occasions, Phorayzoa will become much more active. During these periods of heightened activity, it deliberately seeks out more populous areas, usually crystal reefs. Once it reaches a reef, it will swim in a spiral pattern, soaking up the ambient life force of passing creatures and often tangling even more prey in its coils. They also scoop up the souls of the recently-slaughtered meals of other predators, leeching their life energy away and helping them move on to the next world. Though these creatures usually perform this ritual simply to stockpile nutrients, occasionally they will spawn hundreds of thousands of eggs as soon as they return to the abyss. Larval Phorayzoa are the most well-understood plankton of Ultra Deep Sea, providing food to filter-feeding organisms such as Nihilego.

Phorayzoa’s head is covered in lights, which they flash on and off in a multitude of patterns and colors to communicate with others of their kind. So far, sixty-eight discrete patterns have been documented, and around twenty have been translated. The translated signals typically relate to spawning behaviors, territorial disputes, the health of the individuals, or whether the speaker has performed a spiral dance within a certain time frame. The more complex patterns have yet to be decoded.


	8. UB Strider: ???

The striders have yet to be named by modern science. They are only known from scattered reports scrawled out by lost researchers that have drifted back to the seafloor. They are known to walk the surface world, perhaps on Ultra Deep Sea’s equivalent of land. From these documents, it has been ascertained that the striders are fabulously tall, skinny, slow-moving beasts that spear their seagoing prey with long, harpoon-like tongues or tentacles. It is thought that the striders may feed on young Yolawis during the surface phase of their coming-of-age test, though other notes recall the strider recoiling in horror and pain once the Yolawis reaches its head, likely due to the effects of its psyfield, though the Yolawis dies shortly after in these accounts.

One note describes their calls as “the flutes of gods we cannot name”. Another swears that the melodies are a language, still others insist that they sing legends and hymns of holy beings and saints that humanity has never met, and that the authors could understand every tone’s meaning. One particularly ominous letter stated that once they heard the song, they understood all things and would sacrifice themselves to the dimension’s “lord of the Caldera and the vast acid pits”, whatever this creature or its associated landmarks may be. So far, none of these researchers have returned to recount or document their experiences in anything other than ripped field notes. It is of utmost importance that the Divers and their successors and subordinates reach the surface of Ultra Deep Sea, catalogue these fantastic beasts, their typing, their diet, and their behavior, and above all else, return safely.


	9. Ultra Jungle

**** The entire planet of Ultra Jungle is covered in lush rainforests, bountiful seas, vast wetlands, and active volcanoes. The jungle is a haven for strange megafauna and stranger vegetation, all descended from a vast array of panspermia and wormhole-stranded Pokémon. Life commonly takes odd shapes here, from twisting muscular trees to hairy walls of blubber to flat sails of skin that fly for weeks on end. The life of Ultra Jungle has been confirmed to be primarily carbon-based, and as such chemical and biological analyses can effectively be compared to known interactions.

Strength and survival is paramount here; this world is wild in the truest sense. No one is exempt; extradimensional visitors are subsumed into the food web as soon as they set foot on the ash-enriched soil. Researchers wishing to study this region of Ultra Space must come prepared with a variety of survival gear and weapons and at least one powerful, well-trained, medium-to-large Pokémon companion for safety.

**Assigned Squad: The Lifters**

  * Rhodophyta, Squad Captain, Senior Researcher, Communications and Biology Specialist
  * Dasyc, Botany, Field, Combat, and Survival Specialist
  * Sargass, Combat and Communications Specialist, Senior Researcher, Former Squad Captain (considered lost)




	10. UB-02 Absorption: Buzzwole

Buzzwole is the poster child of Ultra Jungle. Numerous and very social, Buzzwole readily interacts with alien visitors and is the most likely victim of translocation via Ultra Wormhole from this particular world. When faced with an opponent, it will strike a pose and puff up its bulging muscles for intimidation. This is a typical ritual amongst the species when meeting a stranger; poses will be exchanged until one offers a show of respect.

The safest option for researchers in this situation is to submit; effective gestures include bows, the offering of a handshake, and placing the hands over the chest with relaxed arms. If this does not work, an offering of food gets the message across in almost all cases. Flexing in response initiates a challenge and can escalate the situation into an all-out fight, and human researchers in this position are at a very obvious disadvantage.

Buzzwole are bloodsuckers by nature. Their diamond-hard probosces are strong enough to pierce the incredibly thick skin of their main food source, Sokkort, to reach the veins. A digestive enzyme produced within the proboscis also allows them to selectively liquefy and absorb fats and proteins as well, allowing it to feed on the blubber of their preferred prey instead of or in addition to the blood. This also allows them to consume fruit in small quantities, though they prefer berries as a treat rather than a full-time diet.

Pokémon of the Undiscovered egg group are fascinating subjects of study, and Buzzwole is no exception. Each Buzzwole is sexless until mating season arrives, where they enter a feeding frenzy and begin to develop primary and secondary sexual characteristics. By adjusting their nutrient intake, exercise, and environmental stimuli, a Buzzwole can choose which sex it develops into. Intense strength training, sunbathing, chasing small prey, and eating fruit cause male development. Conversely, lower-body strength and endurance training, ravenous parasitic predation, and cooler temperatures cause female development. Males grow thick, feathery antennae and long maxillary palps, which they use to sniff out mates.

The transition to female is much more dramatic. The female Buzzwole uses the nutrients from her feeding frenzy to sprout a large abdomen in which her eggs will grow. The legs stretch out and bulk up in order to lift the new organ, drawing fluids away from the upper body. Pheromone glands grow just above the hips and behind the shoulders. When she has finished metamorphosing, she will crawl to a safe place, typically a wide clearing, and call males down from the canopy with clouds of pheromones so thick that the air turns pink. Once she has gathered enough males, she will challenge each one to a shoving match. Though her arm strength is depleted, she is bulky enough to brace herself against the ground with her strong legs. If a male pushes her far enough according to her standards, he gets to mate with her. A Buzzwole clutch can have multiple fathers if the female allows it.

Once her eggs are fertilized, the female climbs up into the canopy in order to lay her eggs in one of the large bromeliads and leaf-pools that dot the branches. Sometimes her clutch is so big that she has to lay them in separate pools. The males who have earned her respect will often lend her their strength, as her bulk is not well-suited to climbing. Her team of males, as well as Buzzwole who decline to breed that year, often gather leaves and tree resin to build large pools for the eggs. With the eggs safely laid, they all shed their sexual characteristics and return to their genderless base form. Some of them keep their shed maxillary palps or shriveled abdomens, apparently as keepsakes.

For a handful of months after the eggs are laid, Buzzwole relax their territorial borders and cooperate as large swarms in order to raise the next generation. It is during this time that their complex social structure is revealed. Their flexes become more intricate, incorporating various hand gestures, stances, and antennae positioning to deepen the meaning of each pose. Current research is attempting to determine whether or not these gestures are complex enough to serve as a language. So far, evidence upholds the theory. Buzzwole use these signals to spread information regarding the health of the clutch, warn comrades of threats, and collect, store, and ration food. They form small friend groups, affectionately referred to by researchers as “lifting buddies”, which share territory and persist after the swarm breaks up.


	11. UB Wriggle: Zwiggler

Buzzwole’s larval stage is a large, spiky worm that spends the vast majority of its time in the water. It has no wings to speak of, and its legs are nearly nonexistent aside from strange, fuzzy fins and a strong pair of clawed forelegs. Inflatable sacs at the end of its tail allow it to float face-down and collect air through the spiracles on its tail. At this stage, they feed on leaf litter that falls into their ponds, as well as whatever treats the swarm of Buzzwole caretakers brings them.

Throughout its life, Zwiggler will test its strength by climbing out of the water and dragging itself around. By doing so, its forelegs bulk up into muscular arms over time. As it trains, its back legs grow in as well, freeing up its arms to manipulate various objects. Eventually they begin to crawl around the trees and forage for their own food, competing with Kanopi for the best bunches of fruit when they aren’t burying their faces in flowers. In safer places, Zwiggler can be seen doing push-ups and curls to bulk up even more. Its liquid-filled muscle sacs expand as they consume more juice and nectar, giving them a yellowish tint distinct from the deep red of the imago.

Once a Zwiggler’s muscles reach critical mass, it evolves. Those that have the energy to evolve quickly will do so in the standard instant-transformation method. Most of them curl up and pupate for just a day or two before punching their way out of their chrysalis as a tiny, loud, overconfident Buzzwole. It is now up to the freshly-hatched adult to find a group that will accept it or stake out a territory of its own.


	12. UB Behemoth: Sokkort

Sokkort is an enormous, hardy Ultra Beast covered from head to toe in a coat of thick, coarse fur. They shamble about on the forest floor, grazing on megaferns, leaf litter, roots, and fallen fruit. Their ancestral migrations through the jungle clear wide pathways between the trees, which are commonly taken advantage of by smaller Ultra Beasts. Sokkort are gentle creatures, only attacking when provoked, and only provoked when seriously wounded. They can shrug off almost any attack and have been known to completely ignore strikes that would cripple or even kill a more fragile Pokémon. They heal at a fantastic rate, and so they pay little mind to injury.

Sokkort are the main prey animal of Buzzwole. Despite being regularly preyed upon by the much more numerous Buzzwole, Sokkort have suffered no drop in population. A group of three Buzzwole could descend on a particularly large Sokkort and each eat their fill and then some, and the attack may simply result in a skinnier, hungrier, slightly more anemic Sokkort. Because of this near-invulnerability, a handful of Buzzwole have taken to protecting and fattening up the Sokkort that live in their territory so as to keep the beasts alive and healthy over the course of multiple feedings. The vast majority of the time, however, a team of Buzzwole will simply suck the beast dry and let its empty husk rot in the underbrush.

Sokkort manage to be grazing herbivores in a rainforest environment. For the most part, they look down, snuffling about in the ferns and mosses of the forest floor. Their necks are actually quite long, and they will happily stretch upward to eat fresh leaves, twigs, berries, and flowers. Sokkort’s thick, shaggy double fur coat protects it from snagging branches and the attacks of predators and rivals, but it’s only so useful in the wet heat of the rainforest. If it overheats, it will seek out rivers and watering holes to wallow in and cool off. The undercoat traps air cooled by wallowing sessions. It also has long, thin, fleshy sails that can be extended from under its neck and along its spine, exposing blood vessels to the air to let off heat. The sail-like structures are also present on Sokkort’s ears. Sokkort possesses a large pair of lower tusks which it uses to dig, forage, and mark territory on tree bark.

The average Sokkort is solitary, though they are so calm and easygoing that they rarely need to chase each other away. If spats over food, mates, or territory arise, Sokkort will lock tusks and attempt to topple their opponent with the power of their dense neck muscles. The loser falls over on its side while the winner continues on its merry way. There are cases of unfortunate positioning where the winner snaps the loser’s neck and the loser is paralyzed, making it an easy target for hungry Buzzwole.

Sokkort appear to be hermaphroditic, as any individual can mate with any other, though two parents are still required. Young are born live from a cloaca on the creature’s upper chest and are completely self sufficient from the moment they can stand. Calves resemble miniature adults and behave essentially the same, plus a little childhood curiosity.


	13. UB Compaction: Metascal

Metascal is the king of the volcanoes of Ultra Jungle. Their bodies are formed from living metamorphic rock made pliant by extreme heat and minimal silica content. Ripples of color line their skin depending on the minerals present in their bodies. The shiny variety truly is shiny, sporting veins of gold against black marble where there are normally grey lines against white or greenish serpentine. Nevertheless, even the common variety enjoys eating its fill of various metals and minerals.

Like many Rock-types, Metascal is a lithotroph. Most individuals inhabit the mantle beneath Ultra Jungle’s surface, consuming mafic magma and allowing the crushing pressure of the crust above to temper their bodies. When they surface, they maintain mobility with an internal temperature of over 1500 degrees Celsius and a surface temperature nearing 300 C. Their bodies have adapted to retain this heat with a combination of continuous activity and a poorly understood magma-based circulatory system. Metascal rarely leave the safety of their volcanic habitats, for if they exhaust themselves trying to keep warm, they must return to the magma to rest or risk freezing and dying, much like the Earthling Pokémon, Slugma. In particularly nasty cases, loss of their incredible internal pressure can result in them violently exploding. Captive specimens must be kept in their Poké Balls or a PC storage system as a form of life support.

Metascal activity is responsible for the high, jutting outcrops dotting the landscape. Territorial battles may cause massive upheavals of lava or stone, forming buttes and cliffs in seemingly random locations, though normally they just cause tremors. Some are formed deliberately near the bases of volcanoes to serve as waypoints for Metascal who wish to visit the surface without fear of solidifying. Caverns at the feet of these outcrops lead directly into magma chambers, serving a double purpose of relieving pressure in the volcano’s chamber and preventing devastating eruptions. Only a small handful of plant species take root on the cliffs proper, as the average outcrop soars high above the canopy. Metascal consume fruit, water, and meat in addition to their diet of stone and lava. The cliff-base passages to the surface allow them to reach these additional nutrients, which they seemingly use for the more biological components of their anatomy.

Once they have surfaced, Metascal partake in a form of communal grooming that involves grinding their bodies against one another until their rocky skin is polished and smooth. The polishing behaviors assist in molting, remove unwanted stones stuck to the skin, and streamline their bodies for faster swimming once they return to the mantle. The social aspect of the activity softens rivalries, forms small clans of cooperative Metascal, and helps individuals find mates.

They have an uneasy relationship with Buzzwole. Though each would like to chase the other out of their territory, they are unable to do so: a fight between the two would prove deadly for both. A Buzzwole could easily shatter a Metascal in a single punch, but only at the risk of having its entire arm incinerated. For now, they try their best to ignore each other, and when tensions rise, they attempt to settle the matter with threat displays instead.

Metascal must not be touched or handled without proper protective gear. However, using heat-resistant suits, researchers will discover that Metascal are quite friendly and intelligent, understanding the risks posed by their own heat but still enjoying the occasional head pat from a heatproof glove. Researchers must also take care not to appear threatening, for Metascal are as territorial as their muscular rivals. They have come to accept deep bows as a show of submission from their frequent fights with Buzzwole, and once they know a human is safe, they will allow them to approach.


	14. UB Harvester: Kanopi

A small frugivore sporting a strange mix of avian and arthropodal traits, Kanopi flits about the upper branches of the rainforest on four wings, filling its neck and cheek pouches with berries and sipping nectar wherever it can. Its wings move incredibly fast, producing a loud buzz as it flits from branch to branch. Though designed for feeding on nectar and berry juice, their sharp beaks can also be used as a weapon for self-defense.

Kanopi nest in the hollows of old, wide trees. They peck and claw at the inner wood to expand their homes, thus providing them more space to hoard mountains of berries. When they aren’t out foraging for fruit, they sit in their nests, experimenting with various combinations of berry juice and nectar to form honey and preserves with various effects. Some of the berries of Ultra Jungle are supercharged variants of familiar Earthling fruit, while others are mutated versions or completely different species with similar effects.

Kanopi’s honeys are coveted by nearly every other creature in Ultra Jungle. They are delicious and rich in nutrients, and the stat boosts and healing properties they provide are incredibly useful for survival. Zwiggler will raid Kanopi nests and eat as much as they can. Sokkort will headbutt trees until they fall and tear open the nests with their tusks. Buzzwole stab their probosces through the bark in search of Kanopi honey, sometimes spearing and drinking the Kanopi themselves. Even young Yorennul will plunge out of the sky if they spot or smell a Kanopi nest high enough for them to reach safely. The only way Kanopi are able to survive is with the protection of their elders, the Harvespik, who will viciously fight off any predator that dare attack their young.

Study of captive Kanopi specimens has revealed that they can produce juices with almost any fruit as long as it is carbon-based and non-toxic. Though the vast majority of berries are safe to eat for any Pokémon and usually benefit from Pokémon spreading their seeds, there are some plants in Ultra Jungle that produce incredibly toxic fruit and even nectars to protect seeds that spread through other means. As Fairy-types, Kanopi are extremely vulnerable to poison. Toxic nectar or berry juice combined with their very fast metabolisms can kill a Kanopi in seconds. Some plants have taken advantage of this vulnerability and added carnivorous traits to their toxic nectars, letting dead Kanopi rot at their roots or even developing acid-filled pitchers to catch their prey. Some recently observed mutations in Kanopi appear to function as an evolutionary countermeasure. This has resulted in the discovery of their Hidden Ability, Immunity.

A captive population of Kanopi is currently maintained by the Laboratory Research Division.So far, the juices have proven to be effective on Pokémon in a variety of ways, from raising effort values, levels, and Contest-judged condition to restoring health, PP, and status and even reviving fainted Pokémon. The most groundbreaking discovery, however, is that the healing properties also have slight effects on humans. Whether this is the result of the combination of substances or inherent to Kanopi alone is unknown. Further study into the medical potential of Kanopi juice has been approved.


	15. UB Reaper: Harvespik

When Kanopi evolves into Harvespik, its little forelimbs grow into massive scythe-like claws, which it uses to defend itself and its community from predators. Harvespik boast a high degree of intelligence, rumored to be almost equivalent to human. Though they outgrow their tree hollow nests upon evolution, they gain the intellect necessary to build new homes from branches sawed off with their claws, solve logical and logistical problems regarding their social structures and harvest schedules, and produce records with diagrams and pictographs carved into the bark of trees.

Their brainpower makes possible their most iconic behavior: berry farming. Entire sections of the jungle may be composed of berry trees grown to the Harvespik’s specifications. Researchers are advised to tread carefully where berries are abundant, for Harvespik does not take kindly to thieves. They guard their berry farms ferociously, for they are so adapted to growing their own food that they have lost the foraging prowess of their pre-evolutions. They also viciously protect Kanopi to ensure the success of the next generation.

Harvespik are meticulous in the care of their crop. Their claws are good not only for driving off intruders, but also for carving irrigation ditches, pruning dead or diseased branches, or harvesting large bunches of berries. Additionally, they can transport large quantities of nectar, juice, or water in their abdomens, which distend to hold the additional fluid. Their wings are strong enough to lift them even as they haul quantities of nectar that weigh eight times as much as they do. Though a full Harvespik abdomen is a coveted find amongst Buzzwole, engorged transporters are often accompanied by unencumbered bodyguards that quickly dispatch attackers with Aerial Ace and Play Rough.

It is believed that Harvespik is developing a proto-civilization. The presence of language and agriculture and the development of numerous uses for their forelimbs shows great potential for more complex society in the future. Tool use can be seen in Harvespik’s carefully blended berry juice mixes, which are imbibed specifically for their healing and ability-enhancing properties for activities that range from healing sick or injured flock members to accelerating the growth and evolution of Kanopi when Harvespik populations dwindle to unsafe levels. Continued observation of complex behaviors is highly important, especially in understanding their communication. Drawings or photographs of their glyphs are to be recorded whenever possible.


	16. UB Skyveil: Yorennul

When a shadow falls over the jungle on a cloudless day, a Yorennul is flying overhead. Yorennul are titanic Flying-types that rarely return to the ground once they take flight. They are built for a life in the sky, with hollow bones and an astounding wing-to-body surface ratio. Many specimens easily reach wingspans twenty meters in length and often exceed it, but their bodies are quite slender and measure five or six meters from snout to tail. They are a shade of bluish gray all over, assumed to be a form of camouflage against both clear and overcast skies.

Only a scant few individuals have been tagged in their sleep, but the trackers embedded in these tags have recorded their flight patterns. Their gliding prowess is nearly unmatched. The data shows these specimens flying for nearly three months without landing, and the pauses in certain regions, presumed to be feeding sessions, last for so little time that the prevailing hypothesis is that they swoop to catch their prey and quickly ascend again to continue their eternal migration.

Not much was known about their diet until quite recently, but researchers in the jungle have witnessed them snatching high-flying Buzzwole or Harvespik in midair very soon after the species’ discovery. Their wide jaws and long fangs are adapted to gripping and draining the fluids from large prey with prominent liquid sacs. Buzzwole muscle fluid and Harvespik nectar are both incredibly nutritious sources of energy, keeping a Yorennul fed for weeks. Sometimes they will capture prey much smaller than normal, in which case they will swallow it whole. Their neck and jaw muscles are incredibly powerful, far more powerful than their lean appearance would suggest. They can carry Buzzwole in their mouth while only losing a small amount of altitude due to the weight. Some Yorennul have been seen taking advantage of volcanic updrafts in order to avoid crashing while carrying prey.

Only one Yorennul carcass has been recovered, apparently shot out of the sky by angry Metascal triggering a lava fountain or launching a large rock from their volcanic home. By the time researchers recovered the body, most of the wing membranes had been eaten away by Metascal and the main body had been reduced to a desiccated husk by vengeful Buzzwole. Fortunately, the skull remained intact, revealing the straw-like structure of the fangs, confirming their adaptation to draining the bodily fluids of their prey.

The only time Yorennul ever truly roost is when they mate and lay their eggs. Partners meet by chance on their long travels and follow each other to a suitable mountain or cliff, where they land on their spindly hind legs and mate. They both leave when they’re finished, and the female carries the eggs in her body until she finds a suitable place to lay them. Once laid, they hatch quickly, and the mother will capture one large piece of prey for the chicks to feed on. This initial meal causes a massive growth spurt. After this point, they’re on their own. They take off from their nest and must quickly learn to fly or else fall prey to hungry beasts below. As they grow, they target small game such as Kanopi and their nests and high-altitude juice caches belonging to Harvespik. Eventually, they grow large and strong enough to be considered adults, just as capable of capturing large prey.

Studying Yorennul in its natural environment is incredibly difficult. Until more powerful technology that doesn’t harm Ultra Jungle’s ecosystem can be produced, researchers should carry a supply of Beast Balls at all times in order to capture a specimen for study when the opportunity presents itself.


	17. Ultra Desert

**** The planet home to Ultra Desert orbits a Necrozma just sixteen light years from the system containing Ultra Jungle. The biology of its life has been determined to be carbon-based, though natural selection here has resulted in stranger results than its sister world. Some creatures resemble familiar Earth genera, while others utilize completely different body plans and organ structures.The diversity of life here is limited by the harsh landscape.

Much of the planet’s landmass is covered in vast sandy deserts and salt flats, and the regions that aren’t are either rocky mountain ranges or ocean. The only plant life here consists of scrubs, succulents, and other hardy, low-lying vegetation, some more alien than others. Freshwater exists solely in subterranean caverns and groundwater wells, and the only rain that ever strikes the desert is accompanied by tornadoes and lightning. Those creatures that survive must throw their roots deep into the earth, outrun both predators and weather, or subsist on minimal food and sometimes only rock and stone. Though the caverns and tunnels provide protection, they provide no food, and so creatures must venture out into the dunes in order to survive.

  * ******Assigned Squad: The Sidewinders**
    * Porphyra, Squad Captain, Senior Researcher and Biology Specialist
    * Cymo, Field Specialist and Senior Researcher
    * Ishige, Communications Specialist




	18. UB-02 Beauty: Pheromosa

**** Tall, common, and incredibly fast, Pheromosa is a humanoid arthropod perfectly adapted to its desert home. Its white coloration allows it to easily blend in with its sandy surroundings, making it difficult for predators to spot as it sunbathes on a rock or dune. Like many known species of Bug-type, Pheromosa is an ectotherm that musk bask frequently to maintain its body temperature. To overcome the danger of constantly being out in the open, Pheromosa has evolved not just camouflage, but an additional defense mechanism: speed.

Pheromosa is lightning-fast in a very literal sense. The structure of its nervous systemdelegates processing power to multiple secondary brains along its spinal cord, giving it incredibly fast reflexes and reaction time. Its legs are composed almost entirely of highly specialized fast-twitch muscle that allow it to accelerate to 200 kilometers per hour under three seconds. The core of slow-twitch muscle is just as powerful, capable of maintaining endurance speeds of nearly 97 km/h. Some researchers report seeing it dodge lightning. Laboratory tests conducted on captive specimens has revealed that their antennae are incredibly sensitive, likely giving them a semi-accurate prediction of where lightning will strike beforehand. They are able to detect wind currents, electrical activity, and the faintest scents. 

The Pokémon earn their name from the complex pheromones they emit to communicate. Curiously, their strongest and most well-known pheromone is not meant for their own kind, but for protection from other species. It targets the nervous system, causing a flood of oxytocin and norepinephrine that stops Pokémon and humans in their tracks. The potent blend emotions can only be described as awe, and the effects can cause those who inhale it to stop attacking, run away in fear, or even assist the Pheromosa in foraging. Pheromosa are immune to the effects of this substance and can smell the species’ other signals underneath it. The organ responsible for all of the species’ pheromones is located at the base of the nape, exposed by spiracles between portions of the exoskeleton. A Pheromosa can leave a dense trail of pheromones in its wake as it runs at top speed across the desert.

The chemical makeup of this pheromone is difficult to study. It breaks down very quickly when isolated, leaving several more stable compounds in its place. Captive Pheromosa have resisted having this pheromone extracted, and sedatives break down so quickly in their bodies that they can’t be anesthetized long enough to obtain the chemical in its purest form.

Pheromosa typically live in small groups. Solitary Pheromosa, when they aren’t basking or scavenging, wander the desert in search of others of their kind. If they are not accepted into an already-existing group, they will attempt to form a new one of other lone individuals. Pheromosa are very clean animals. Their saliva contains compounds that dissolve oil and grime and repel parasites. Pheromosa groom themselves whenever they get the chance, starting with their antennae and veils. Communal grooming is the main draw of grouping up. Each Pheromosa has different immunities, so grouping up allows them to share and bolster the survival chances of all members. Additionally, grooming keeps their antennae in working order so that they can keep up with the subtle chemical signals from other individuals.

Pheromosa bear no sexual dimorphism and are remarkably androgynous in behavior, even when seeking mates. Both captive and tagged males and females have been seen performing the same mating dances, and sex has only been determined by physical checkups. Both parents raise the young with the help of other group members, guarding the eggs in shifts and leading nymphs to the best food and water sources. Young nymphs often ride on the backs of adults. Underneath an adult Pheromosa’s veil, a nymph is almost invisible. The young are born resembling miniature adults and molt six times before reaching maturity. Once grown, they leave in search of other young adults to form their own groups.

A rare recessive mutation may cause a Pheromosa to be born with a black lower body. These shiny variants stand out against the sand and make easy prey for hungry Irozei. However, the mutation has been observed to be attractive to other Pheromosa, and so the coloration remains in the gene pool via sexual selection. Some shiny specimens have been observed to have superior individual values, with all instances possessing at least two or three perfect values. This is likely due to the fact that weaker shinies were very quickly hunted down.


	19. UB Syringe: Irozei

**** Thunderstorms are not the only lightning Pheromosa must dodge, for its most prevalent predator, Irozei, uses its Electric typing to its full advantage. Irozei earns its codename from the shape and function of its mouthparts, among other aspects of its strange biology. Its typing and needle-sharp features seem ill-suited to its habitat. The current hypothesis holds that Irozei’s ancestors originated on the cold, dry, stormy peaks of the planet’s mountain ranges and migrated to the desert regions when mountain-dwelling prey species went extinct.

At first glance, one would expect Irozei’s pointed feet to sink right into the sand. Wherever possible, Irozei freezes groundwater to skate across a solid surface. By taking advantage of the composition of of the sand, they can levitate millimeters above the surface by supercooling their ceramic exoskeletons and magnetizing the minerals in the ground. Observation of juveniles and even neonates has revealed the same behavior, and so it is assumed that Irozei know the move Magnet Rise from birth.

By minimizing friction with ice, levitation, and a streamlined body, Irozei can hurtle across the desert at speeds nearing 170 kilometers per hour. Its leg muscles are a solid bundle within its exoskeleton much like Pheromosa’s, though there is a much higher ratio of slow-twitch muscles. As a result, it takes longer to accelerate to top speed, but it can maintain it for longer as well. Once it has reached top speed, it can also tuck in its legs and glide using momentum alone, resting its limbs until it needs another burst of speed. It is the fastest pursuit predator known to science.

Irozei’s prey of choice is Pheromosa. Their four sharp eyes have incredible depth perception and a knack for picking out the tiniest of motions against the sand. Once they spot a Pheromosa, the chase begins. They run them down for miles at blistering speeds with the goal of exhausting the Pheromosa to the point where it can run no longer. As soon as the Pheromosa tires and decelerates, the Irozei pushes it even further by chilling the area to well below freezing and striking the area with Thunderbolts to force the Pheromosa to dodge. Eventually the bug collapses, completely drained, and the Irozei paralyzes it with Thunder Wave and feeds. Its needle-sharp proboscis pierces through the shell of its prey and releases an enzyme that liquefies the prey’s insides, which it sucks out until the prey is an empty husk. Although thoroughly adapted for the hunt, Irozei are omnivorous and will gladly plunge their probosces into plants, fruits, and flowers when available.

Though fast and powerful, Irozei is just as fragile as its prey in the defensive department. Any Pheromosa that chooses fight over flight is a threat. A single kick can shatter its ceramic carapace, which cannot grow back after the Irozei has lived beyond its final molt. With its innards and muscle exposed, it’s practically already dead, and so it will use its electricity to short out its own brain to cut short its suffering. Irozei that die in this manner are cannibalized by other Irozei, most often by their children, siblings, or mates. In captivity, specimens display an impressive degree of intelligence, passing object permanence tests, the mirror test, word recognition, and command training. It is possible that this cannibal practice could be a funerary ritual.

Irozei hunt alone, but live and breed in groups. A pack can consist of a single mated pair or up to three family generations. Individuals mate for life, and the mating season occurs twice for each of Ultra Desert’s 457-day years. Using electrical signals and magnetoreception, packs converge into vast colonies situated in sandstone caves and canyons. Here, young Irozei leave their packs to find mates. Eggs are laid one at a time, and the colony doesn’t disperse until every last one of them has hatched.

Hatchlings are incredibly vulnerable; their carapaces are soft and must be fired gently using heat generated by adult’s electricity. Despite the heat requirements to solidify their shells, they are still Ice-types and can be injured by overheating. Babies rely on adults for food. Adults store a nutrient-rich sludge of previous meals in their crop for their young. While the hatchlings are still young, their parents seek out healing berries to add to the mix so that they can survive the firing process. As they molt and grow larger, juvenile Irozei learn how to fire their own shells and hunt alongside their parents until they’re ready to strike out on their own into the white dunes.


	20. UB Sandworm: Arrakayit

Swimming beneath the sands of the vastest deserts on the planet, the Arrakayit wait and listen, hunting and communicating with the vibrations in the ground. As long as a Wailord, these worms prey on anything they can feel through the ground. Pheromosa and Irozei alike tread carefully in Arrakayit territory, moving erratically to prevent detection. Though incredibly long, its body is narrow, making its prey of choice plenty large enough to meet its dietary needs.

All along its segmented body are short, thin shovel-like legs which it uses to dig throughsand and propel itself along. It has two methods of hunting, pursuit and ambush. Normally it prefers to bury itself in a vertical burrow and lie in wait, snagging prey with its viciously sharp pincers and dragging them below to eat. Others swim below the sand until they notice the footsteps of potential prey, chase the sound relentlessly, and lunge over the surface to catch their next meal. Steady vibrations attract their attention regardless of their method of choice. Occasionally, they will topple their prey with a particularly powerful Earthquake or Magnitude attack, which they produce by thrashing their bodies wildly beneath the surface.

Arrakayit can use its scissor-like pincers to break up boulders it encounters as it swims through the sand. However, they do not have the strength or patience to bore through solid bedrock, making canyons and mountains a safe haven from them. Pheromosa and Irozei largely live in these rockier regions, but those that choose to migrate across the sandy flatlands to new regions must move as fast as they can lest they become the worm’s next meal.

Arrakayit seem to possess a limited degree of intelligence. No specimens have been captured to date, but in the wild individuals have been observed breaching out of the sand and into the air for apparently no purpose. Initially, researchers believed that juveniles were fleeing predation by larger adults. This hypothesis changed once fully-grown adults were observed breaching. Moreover, this breaching behavior seems to coincide with specific vibrational patterns detected by seismographs planted around their habitat. No concrete explanation has been formulated as of yet. It is currently believed that the breaching is play behavior and the vibrations are a form of communication between individuals of the species. Obtaining a captive specimen is currently the highest priority for the study of this species.


	21. UB Shuffle: Emeritero

Emeritero dot the shorelines of the vast desert continents, filter-feeding with their feathery antennae as sludgy waves thick with minerals and microorganisms crash over them. They spend much of their time buried under the sand, where the intricate designs emblazoned on their shells are obscured. Four varieties of Emeritero have been documented and named after the tarot suits: Swords, Wands, Cups, and Coins. Their shells are crystalline, formed from the blue quartz abundant in Ultra Desert and trace amounts of pyrite and gold forming patterns on the surface.

Emeritero rely on trickery to survive. Their natural moveset is full of status moves and high critical ratios, and Trump Card is learned at much earlier levels than other Pokémon who learn this move. Notably, Emeritero learn different moves depending on their suit. Swords are physical attackers, Batons are special attackers, Cups are recovery-focused, and Coins rely on status moves. Sword and Baton-marked Emeritero possess the ability Super Luck, while Cup and Coin-marked Emeritero have Prankster. The four forms of Emeritero tend to feed together, allowing them to coordinate their various skills should a predator attack.

Every so often, Emeritero will dig themselves out of their burrows and swap places with the others around them. This behavior is also seen in battle, where Emeritero of different types switch places with one another in order to confuse the opponent. At times, different morphs will even mimic each other’s behaviors to draw the attention of the opponent and lure them within range of an Emeritero specializing in attack. This remarkable coordination seems to be carried out via waving their forelegs and flicking their antennae. Captive specimens are highly cooperative and learn quickly from humans, making them quite easy to communicate with. The extent of their intelligence is currently being researched.


	22. UB Whistle: Huacarina

Composed of interconnected hollow stone vessels, Huacarina are slow-moving Rock-types that perch at the peaks of mountains, under natural bridges, and in canyons. They congregate in the windiest areas they can find and let the breeze pass through the holes in their bodies. Their shape lets them sing. The peculiar muscular structures just under their stone shells allow them to open and close the holes individually to make different notes, and it is also assumed that these muscles allow them to walk on rocky legs. The vast majority of their organs seem to be situated at the base of their central bodies.

Huacarina are peaceful herbivores, feeding on the hardy scrubs and berries of the rocky badlands and lumbering around in large groups. When food runs out in an area, they have been observed huddling together and hibernating in caves for months or even years until the fast-growing plants grow back in their home region. They may also migrate in herds dozens strong in order to find new food sources. Some deliberately begin to hibernate or migrate before the plant life is depleted in order to allow the vegetation to grow back in their absence. Huacarina eat slowly and burn very little energy. Their mouths are positioned near the top of their central vessel and the esophagus runs along the back, where a ridge makes room for the spinal cord as well. The passage is narrow, requiring a hungry Huacarina to grind its meal into a fine paste with its rocky, toothless jaws before swallowing, lest it choke. The odd structure of Huacarina’s muscles is incredibly energy efficient, making as much use out of its small meals as they possibly can. Their slow movements and efficient use of energy allow them to go without eating for weeks, even when not hibernating. 

The rest of its main body is dedicated to the hollow space that catches the wind. The lungs are highly specialized and weave through almost all of the available space under Huacarina’s shell. They breathe slowly through four spiracles or nostrils on the backs of their heads, and the air travels into lungs that wrap around their sides and extend down their shoulders. A fifth orifice inside the central vessel is rarely used to inhale. When there is no wind, Huacarina will exhale through this hole, blowing into its vessel to create a soft, constant note. It will continue to sing when doing this, opening and closing its various holes to weave a tune. It can also use this spiracle to make much louder vocalizations, ranging from booming rumbles to high-pitched whistles.

Huacarina’s singing is its most iconic trait. UB Whistle is almost never alone, and it loves to harmonize with its herd mates. The song of the Huacarina serves a social function, alerting other individuals to its presence and allowing them to gather for protection. Certain melodies seem to have certain meanings, signaling whether to hibernate, where and when to migrate, and where to find food, among other things. When they are not communicating key survival information, they hum gentle tunes to each other with no apparent pattern. This social function is incredibly important to their psychology; specimens captured for lab study go silent in the testing areas without proper stimulation, and the earliest captive specimens had tragically short lifespans due loneliness and isolation. Protocol for maintaining a captive population has been amended to require companionship for all specimens. Each specimen must be bonded to a minimum one other specimen, and additional resources are now allocated to teaching researchers how to play woodwind instruments, especially vessel flutes, to allow them to bond with their subjects and provide additional enrichment.

On rare occasions, smaller Pokémon have been seen inhabiting the hollow portions of Huacarina’s body. These creatures are undocumented and appear to be native to other portions of the planet. So far, it has been impossible to capture or observe these unknown Ultra Beasts up close, as the Huacarina providing them shelter will swing its arms and scream to drive off any potential threats. This behavior is much more common when they are carrying a tenant than when not, implying that they are actively protecting those who take shelter in their vessels. When they have nothing else in tow, they are rather gentle towards researchers. Researchers have obtained photographs of these hitchhikers peeking out of Huacarina’s holes, and the promise of new biodiversity in the furthest regions of Ultra Desert has invigorated the passion of scientists assigned to the planet.


	23. UB Seaworm: Marine Arrakayit

The first regional variant discovered amongst Ultra Beasts, the Marine Arrakayit lives in the seas of Ultra Desert. The current favored hypotheses are either that they adapted to water after accidentally digging too far and falling into the ocean, or that they were originally aquatic and burrowed their way into the sands to seek out new food sources. Regardless of their true origin, they are as well adapted to the water as their cousins are to the sand. Their feelers detect currents and bioelectricity, their legs have grown into fins, and their thrashing creates whirlpools rather than earthquakes. Despite all these differences, their behavior is remarkably similar to their land counterparts, including breaching behaviors. Notably, the marine variant of Arrakayit prefers to hunt using the ambush method rather than the pursuit method favored by UB Sandworm.

Marine Arrakayit’s most striking difference from its cousin is its vibrant coloration. By living in water instead of sand, Arrakayit gains access to the sense of sight. The aquatic form has fully functional eyes with ten unique color cones that let it see far beyond the visual spectrum. Individuals have been observed displaying to each other by waving their legs and antennae. Their colorful carapaces make them instantly recognizable to other Marine Arrakayit, and they are much more likely to solve territorial disputes through threat displays rather than violence.

Marine Arrakayit are notably better parents than their cousins on land. While their counterparts lay their eggs and leave them to fend for themselves until they hatch, the oceanic parents carry their clutches on their bellies. Hatchlings swim alongside their parents until they are large enough to survive on their own, feeding on the scraps dropped from the jaws of their progenitors. Once they reach an appropriately gargantuan size, they stake out their own territories amongst the corals and crystal formations.

Little else is known about the marine variant. Research on terrestrial Arrakayit is not sufficient to begin in-depth analysis of the sea worms. Hunting Arrakayit also pose a major threat to diving expeditions, and as such other sea life living on Ultra Desert is very difficult to study. Full understanding of the land species is currently prioritized above the study of the sea.


End file.
